Burning Down Privet Drive
by seriousblahblah
Summary: For his 21st birthday, Luna has a surprise gift. And it's nothing Harry could have ever expected or predicted. Then again, nothing about living with beautiful weirdo Luna Lovegood is ever predictable, is it? Post-war Harry. "Be a freak like me too," Luna whispers in his ear. Story about PTSD, abusive childhood, and letting go. COMPLETE! (But may add ginny/luna/harry bonus chapter)
1. His 21st Birthday

[October Oneshot exchange: Written for acrownlessqueen, hiraeth (word); "You without youth" - Metric (song); Harry/Luna/Ginny] [DADA class Assignment Impediment Jinx and Full Body-Bind; Task: Write about relying on one of the five senses when another one is missing. This can be permanently or temporary; Prompt: (word) ice; (dialogue) "Slow down." / "Why should I?"]

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.

 **Burning Down Privet Drive, or**

 _Be a Freak Like Me_

 _ **.**_

 _[Harry/Luna]_ _[Song: Lana Del Rey -_ _Freak_ _]_

 _[Hiraeth (n.) "a nostalgia for a home to which you cannot return; a longing for a home that is no longer or never was"]_

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I.

Today was his birthday. His 21st birthday.

He awoke near dawn, half-dressed, half-naked with Luna's warm body wrapped around his own. It was a quiet, tranquil moment and Harry closed his eyes to contemplate the fact that he was 21 today before closing his eyes again and drifting back off to sleep.

It was a few more hours before he officially woke up and Luna was doing all kinds of things to tease and awaken him—like dragging her nails slowly down his back, licking his ear, and placing little kisses across his chest—until finally he rolled over on top of her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Fine, you win. I'm awake," he whispered with a tired groan as he gazed down at her. Luna never seemed to get tired no matter how little or much sleep she had. Harry always had to keep up with her stamina. He sighed with a little content smile before he started placing rough kisses down her throat and chest in retaliation. Luna giggled as his stubble scratched against her pale, porcelain soft skin.

After they had spent a good half an hour, taking care of _his_ first birthday present, Luna nibbled at his ear and told him she had a second birthday present.

 _Now I wonder what that could be,_ Harry thought satisfactorily as he got dressed into casually elegant black robes and a crisp white shirt.

Luna dressed in a simple green dress, embelished with sequins, before telling him to meet her in the living room.

.

"Close your eyes," Luna said into Harry's ear. His skin tingled where her cool breath briefly touched his neck.

Harry, perhaps 6 months ago, would be apprehensive about closing his eyes whenever Luna asked, but since he'd been dating her, he'd learned to subtly trust her. And more often than not, she surprised him with her quirky personality—to the point where he enjoyed her eccentricity.

Harry closed his green eyes and nodded. Trusting her.

"I'm listening," he whispered back to her as if they were both anticipating a surprise that they had to be very quiet about.

"Good." He could practically hear her smirk in her wispy, Irish voice. "Now come over here," she instructed and Luna inserted her hand into his. His fingers interlaced with her much smaller fingers and she led him upwards from their shared, messy bed (with its homemade Nargle-wool quilt knitted by Luna herself) and down the hall.

When Harry felt the bare brick of their fireplace hearth under his feet, he grew—slightly—apprehensive.

"Luna, are you going to take me by Floo somewhere?" he asked, trying not to sound too worried, as, with his eyes still closed, he pushed up his glasses from the bridge of his nose. A nervous tic of his.

Luna—he imagined, because he knew his girlfriend's facial expressions (and which voice went with which smile or smirk or twirl of her hair)—smirked and tugged at his hand tighter. "Don't worry, I won't take you anywhere you don't want to go, Harry Potter," she still said his full name on occasions like this, as if they were strangers that just met, and not boyfriend-girlfriend of six months.

"Yes, well," he coughed uncomfortable, " _Harry Potter,_ " he referred to himself (and his legendary name) in third person, "is a bit—er tad—bit worried where you might take him." He coughed again and did his best not to open his eyes and call this whole birthday surprise thing off. "Last time, as I recall, you took us to a place in Denmark where they only sold fish and everything was covered in ice."

"That was so we could see the soulskin-sealskin," Luna informed him dreamily.

"Yes," Harry said. "Except when you fell through the hole in the ice, I had to go in and rescue you. I don't like cold water." He had to do it once to get the sword from an ice-cold lake; doing it again in a Danish lake wasn't much more fun the second time around.

Luna giggled. "It was sweet of you."

Harry sighed (and he was half-way crossed between a grin and an annoyed frown). "Yes, well, I couldn't very well let you drown, could I?" he asked ironically. Luna could be rather ditsy at times like these.

But then he felt her small, nimble fingers tracing some invisible scripture onto his cheek and he shivered, remembering why he loved this witch so much; she could drive him wild with her touch. She rubbed her nose against his sweater, as if inhaling a piece of him.

"Let's go, Harry," she said simply and tugged at his hands.

He felt his feet move a bit closer to the dusty ash of the fireplace, any moment now he knew Luna was going to throw a handful of the Floo powder in and take him—still blinded—wherever she was taking him.

"Do I really need to have my eyes closed for this?" he asked with a tired gasp. "I'll hear what you say when you throw the Floo powder in."

Luna kissed him on the cheek. "Then cover your ears too."

Harry took a long exhale of breath, trying to remember when and where Luna got the idea that he liked birthday surprises, before he complied and raised both hands to cover his ears.

A moment later, Luna grabbed him by the wrist and then he could feel her momentum as she threw a handful of Floo powder into their fireplace, whispered into the hearth something he could not hear, and then dragged him forward into the fireplace's cold flames.

He _really_ hoped she didn't take him to Iceland or Denmark again.

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a/n - thank you for reading, I'm trying to put light hints of Dursley abuse in Harry's past without spelling it out or making it overdramatic by showing scars or anything from the Dursleys. I don't think abuse has to leave physical scars and the Dursleys seemed to be emotionally abusive than physically, though Harry probably got both emotional and physical abuse too, that in addition to how the Dursleys practically starved him and damaged him in so many way...But Harry was a fighter :-). Anyways, sorry to sound too heavy and ansgsty in this author's ntoe but the story will get lighter and a bit hilarious and naughty by the end...because I want Harry to be happy :) thanks and reviews appreciated like galleons ;)


	2. Freak

a/n - Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited, it is appreciated :) and I'm glad you like it ~siriusbarks

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 **II.**

.

When Harry opened his eyes again, he was in a place both familiar and far too strange and alien for him to even contemplate going in.

 _"Luna,"_ he said with his patience on edge as he finally looked at her and her large blue orbs looked innocently back at him, as if not comprehending why this was a bad idea. "I know you're quirky and have some strange ideas, but did you really think taking me back to my childhood home for my birthday was a good idea?"

He stared across the street at number 4 Privet Drive with faint disgust; he had nothing but bad memories of this place. Though his Aunt and Uncle no longer lived there, they had long since moved house after one of Voldemort's Death Eaters bombarded the place during the second Wizarding War. And from what he'd heard Dudley briefly mention one time in a letter, the house had gone from muggle tenant to tenant before a wizard entrepreneur had finally bought the muggle property. Because he saw the historical (and monetary) value of buying the childhood home of the famous savior Harry Potter.

"They want to make it into a museum," Luna said quietly and she shifted closer to him so they were standing shoulder to shoulder as they both stared at the little muggle house.

"That is just a nightmare." The last thing he wanted was his muggle childhood home, and the cupboard he used to live in, becoming public knowledge as wizard after wizard visited the house as a fucking museum.

"Maybe you can buy it back?" Luna suggested, sensing his discomfort, as she slipped her hand into his.

Harry raised his heavy brows at her. "Do you know the buyer?"

Luna shrugged, but didn't quite answer his question. "You have plenty of money to buy it back. If it bothers you so much."

Harry bit at his lip. "I'm not even sure it bothers me so much as..." He sighed. "I wish it could just be buried in the past."

He glanced grimly again at the brown-shingled little house with its dour windows and narrow driveway; the house seemed to be a representation itself of the Dursley's personality, even when they were gone. All conformity, narrow-mindedness and surface order...while underneath and inside it was all ugly and soulless.

"You shouldn't bury things, Harry," Luna informed him. "They have a way of turning up like moles out of holes."

Harry gave a resigned sigh.

"Isn't that what the past is for?" he thought. To be buried in newer and better memories of the future and present, memories that didn't involve Privet Drive, the Dursleys, and being shoved in little cupboards. Or underfed and bullied by his cousin. Hated by his uncle and aunt because he was a freak and not like them.

Harry mussed up his short, black hair. He _wished_ thinking about Privet Drive could be as cute as a mole coming out of hole. That was typical cutesy Luna metaphors. Moles. And seals. And Nargles and all kinds of silly and odd stuff that stirred up even odder imagery in his head. (Right now he was imagining and a bit frightened by the idea that Luna had transfigured the Dursleys into moles and then stuffed them into the house as a surprise for him. He might actually be pleased by that, if it wasn't so strange.) But he suddenly understood the therapeutic value of returning here; Luna was trying to help him in her quirky way. And while he might not like this, perhaps confronting his fears was the best way to get over it. It had been years since he'd been forced to come here, so time and distance perhaps would put a bit of objectivity into his return.

Harry couldn't even begin to count the number of times he'd been called a " _freak"_ by his family. It was not something he talked about, but it was always there at the back of his mind whenever he heard that word. Perhaps that's why he was so tolerant of Luna. No matter how odd she behaved, Harry dared anyone to call her a 'freak' in his presence and try to get away with it.

Perhaps he did have issues.

"Let's make you better memories," Luna said and pecked him on the cheek again, warmly wrapping her hands around him.

She nudged him by the elbow, trying to pull him forward across the street.

Harry reluctantly followed her and winced as he opened the front door with his hand; somehow he still expected the Dursleys to be there on the other side, ready to taunt him—

 _Freak._

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Part III. Posted soon! Thanks and I would appreciate any thoughts or if you think this is an accurate or inaccurate portrayal of Harry or how he would feel about the dursley's abuse years after?  
;)


	3. Bad Memories

**a/n: Thank you for reading, I changed the title again (because I'm an idiot and now the title is a huge spoiler for what happens later...but oh well...) and thank you to my beta who helped me rewrite the first few chapters :) thanks davros! hope you like this chapter too ~siriusbarks**

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 **III.**

Harry wasn't sure why he was still going along with Luna's "surprise" since it was her oddest and most unpleasant surprise yet. Especially in light of the fact that it was his birthday—one of his first few birthdays as a free adult—and yet she had brought him to the most depressing, hollow place imaginable. The childhood home where he never got to celebrate his birthdays, and the first 11 years of his life were spent wishing himself a happy birthday, alone and forgotten in his dusty cupboard.

While he knew Luna's intentions were _good_ , he really rather she had brought him here on any other day, instead of on his bloody birthday.

Still he went along with it, as Luna led him through the empty, still house, and they revisited each place of his childhood home and he told her a different story of each wall and room. Each memory seemed to tumble out of his lips automatically as he walked through the small muggle house.

Not all the stories were grim, but they weren't as happy as his memories of Hogwarts where his life really began and took a turn for the better. Still, there were a few nice ones here, which he explained to her with a tired smirk.

"This is the kitchen where Dobby once snuck in and tried to stop me from going back to Hogwarts. Because he wanted to protect me. Like he always did." He held back the emotion of remembering how Dobby had died, three years ago, again trying to protect him. He loved Dobby, oddly enough. And Dobby was one of the first 'persons' or beings, human or not, to love him. He truly didn't even appreciate how much he loved Dobby until the brave house-elf was dead, at Shell Cottage, having saved both his, Hermione and Ron's life.

"May he rest in peace," Luna murmured quietly and held onto his hand as he led her up the landing of the stairs.

"This is where I once slid down the banister." Harry smirked. "As I tried to catch one of the 1000s of letters Hogwarts was sending me, inviting me to study there as an 11 year old."

Luna's blue eyes peeked curiously at him; she nibbled at a strand of her long, blonde hair. "Didn't they just send you one letter like everybody else?"

Harry shook his head and his hand slid over her waist, leading her further into the house. "No. The Dursleys didn't want me to go. So I had to try to get the letter from them, but they kept taking them away. So eventually Hogwarts had to send me more and more letters until I could finally open one."

"You had a strange childhood," Luna said.

"Comparing it to yours, that _is_ saying something."

Luna narrowed her eyes. "I just grew up on a goat farm. Not a funny farm."

Harry smirked but decided to say nothing of Nargles or her father's Crumple-Horned Snorkack. It was true that the Lovegoods were eccentric, but at least Luna had been raised with a lot of love.

He led them to a second-floor window and stared out at the view of the street, where it had started to rain down on the lamplights and muggle cars parked along the neighbour's house.

Harry pointed at a bush beneath a streetlamp. "That's where I once saw Sirius's animagus, before I even knew the large, black dog was him." _Such a shame because if he'd waited a moment longer, he might've met and saved his godfather then. Sirius might never have died, if he knew earlier..._ "I didn't get to meet Sirius then. Unfortunately. Because it was right before I stepped onto the Knight Bus." His lips pulled up in a contemplative smirk. "And right after I accidentally blew up my Aunt Marge into a balloon." Even now that memory could sometimes make him smile.

"You see? You do have good memories here," Luna said.

"Most of them in connection with the magical world. Or escaping from this place." He gestured his thumb at the spare bedroom, where steel-bars had once covered the window until the Weasley's flying car had broken him out by ripping the steel bars right off. He hadn't even had a bedroom in this house until after his first year at Hogwarts, under pressure from the wizarding world, the Dursleys had finally decided to give him the room that once existed only to store Dudley's spare toys. Really that made him angrier than anything. The spare bedroom should've been his all along. But out of cruelty, the Dursleys denied him it and kept him in a cupboard. A human being, a child, kept in a cupboard, while a whole spare room was used to keep toys. Toys that all belonged to Dudley and which Harry hadn't even been allowed to play with or enter.

"They're still memories," Luna mumbled in reply, as she wrapped one of her wispy blonde strands around her fingers.

Harry tried not to lose his temper at her, just now. "Ones I'd rather _forget_ and nobody needs. I sincerely hope you were joking when you said they were going to make a museum out of this place." His green eyes trailed around the empty house in dismay, imagining wizarding visitors tramping up and down the hallways, taking pictures of the Boy-Who-Lived's cupboard.

"We could burn it down?" Luna suggested perfectly seriously. He had no doubt she would, if he told her to.

"Good idea," he said sarcastically. "But I'd rather be sure Mr. Museum has insurance before I burn down his whole investment." He started heading down the stairs, his hands in his pockets. "I think we should leave now. If that's the end of your surprise. Thanks, Luna."

His mind flashed with mild anger and irritation as he stormed down through the house. He wondered what Luna's true purpose in bringing him here was. What kind of birthday surprise was this, bringing him to Privet Drive? Sure, she probably thought it would help him. But why on his birthday?

Why had Luna wanted him to come here now? He didn't exactly feel any better after having a tour around; he felt the same or angrier. He was trying not to be cross with her; because Luna hardly ever made him cross (she was usually too cute to make him truly, well mad), but just now he really could not understand her aim or intention at all, unless it was to be cruel. Though Luna had never been cruel to him before, so it did not compute, mostly it confused him. In the same way, her radish earrings (and the point or logic behind them) used to confuse him before he gave up understanding them altogether and just learned to accept Luna's eccentricity. Except on days like this where her eccentricity took rather unpleasant downturns.

"Slow down," Luna called after him.

"Why should I?"

"Harry, wait," she called again and tried to catch up with him. "There's a surprise for you under the stairs."

He stopped walking.

"You mean in my cupboard?" he asked with absolutely no amusement. He really hoped she hadn't stuffed dead Dursleys or moles in his cupboard, he really wouldn't put it past her.

"Harry, relax." She ambled up to him and raised her hands to press them down on his shoulders. "If you listened to what I was trying to say before. I brought you here so you could make some new memories. Better memories of this place. We already heard your bad memories, now let's make new ones," she said with a winsome smile that at any other time would make him want to drop everything to kiss her. if it wasn't so out of place.

Harry was really trying not to lose his temper. "I don't want better memories of this place, Luna. I just want to get out of here—"

"You'll change your mind once you see what's in the cupboard."

Harry rolled his eyes again. "Again, Luna, I think you know why that's the last place I want to visit."

It's like she was trying to piss him off now. He had absolutely no desire to see the disgusting little dusty space that had once been his room; even if he had a few fond memories of playing with tin soldiers or other found toys as an innocent child, not knowing he deserved better or that he was being mistreated by the Dursleys. He just sort of learned to accept the way he was treated until it seemed normal to be treated like crap.

"You'll change your mind." Luna coughed. "Ginny?"

"Ginny? What does Ginny have to do with this?" Harry stopped walking and looked back up at Luna. He'd broken up with Ginny before he started dating Luna and while he was on good terms with the red-head, because he was still mates with Ron and all her family, he really did not see her often.

Suddenly he heard a coughing sound from the cupboard. "What on earth did you put in there?" His mind flickered with the odd possibilities Luna might've stuffed his cupboard with: Nargles, house-elves, birthday presents, cakes, wombats, moles, something really weird...maybe even a goat sacrifice. With Luna, you couldn't predict what she might be up to or try next. One time she had even tried to bring a baby elephant home as a pet, not realizing it would soon outgrow the capacity of their flat to hold the large animal.

But then his lips set in a grim line. Because a thought had occurred to him.

"Wait...Why did you mention Ginny?"

The blonde's smile grew wider. Yet she refused to answer.

"Luna what did you put in that cupboard?"

"Open it yourself and you'll see."

"Fine." Harry headed towards the cupboard's door and put his hand on the handle, before he hesitated. "Wait," he told her, "You didn't put anything dangerous in here, did you?" He took out his wand just in case, it was some kind of banshee or boggart she'd decided to stuff into his old cupboard as a sort of wacky, new-age therapy.

Luna licked at her lips. "Not that kind of danger."

"Nothing illegal either?" he asked her with raised brows. Because he knew his Luna. And he knew that the little blonde liked illegal things.

"Not this time," she assured him with a smirk.

That only gave him some peace of mind.

Harry didn't put away his wand, in case. He'd only defeated Voldemort and many Death Eaters in battle, but he didn't want his life ending now over some weird birthday prank-gone wrong.

"Go on," Luna said in anticipation.

Harry briefly thought how odd his girlfriend was, before he opened the cupboard and his jaw went slack. (It briefly also occurred to him that he might be the luckiest too.)

"Well...this..." His face grew hot and red. "...wasn't what I was expecting."

"Hi, Harry," Ginny said.

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A/N: No, it's not what you expect. Or maybe it is. Or maybe it's not. What do you think will happen? Also if you spotted any SpaG or embarrassing spelling errors, I'd appreciate if you pointed them out so I can fix it

~siriusbarks


	4. Surprise

Author's note: You may have read the previous version of chapter 4 which was quite comedic and very different. But my beta insisted I rewrite it to keep it more consistent in tone and as serious as the first three chapters. There will be one more chapter and then the serious ending, but don't worry: if you liked the crackfic version of chapter 4 I will be including it as a bonus chapter at the end with the harry/ginny/luna scene. But here is the more serious version of chapter 4 and thanks to my beta and reviewers for their input :) ~siriusbarks

[song for this chapter: Pinball Wizard - The Who]

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 **IV.**

Harry could have started crying. If he was a crying-sort-of-person. Which he wasn't. Harry Potter was very much an English gentleman, bury-down-your-feelings type so that no one ever sees them. He hadn't even cried when Dobby died.

But now, as he stared at all the people that had miraculously fit themselves in the cupboard with an extension charm, his eyes started to water.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!" They all called in joyous raised tones at the same time. Ginny was standing at the front of the cupboard, but behind her he could see at least seventy people and hear their voices.

Harry had to stand back in shock as, one by one, everyone he had met and loved, or made some connection to, in the wizarding world began to pile out of the cupboard. Starting with Ginny, who came out first and hugged him, told him happy birthday and then carried the homemade cake into the kitchen.

Quickly following Ginny, his brother-from-another-mother, Ron Weasley, and his best friend Hermione came out. They also both gave him hugs and Harry was pleased to notice that Hermione and Ron were as in love as ever. Hermione was blushing and looked radiant, while Ron had obviously been forced into wearing a tux and seemed both happy and put-off that they'd all been crushed into a cupboard like sardines for the surprise.

"Happy birthday, Harry!" Hermione practically shouted while hugging him closely.

Ron opted to just shake his hand, while handing him a present that both he and Hermione had chosen for him. "You can open that later, it's for both you and Luna. Happy birthday mate."

"Ron," Harry began accusingly. "You knew about this and you didn't tell me anything?"

Hermione smacked him on the arm. "Harry, don't even start, we were sworn into secrecy, Luna made us swear not to tell anyone. Believe me, it wasn't easy."

"I can't believe it was easy either," Harry said, scratching at the back of his neck. "How many people did you fit in there?"

"Close to a hundred people, I believe," Hermione said. "And don't give me any credit, it was all Luna's doing."

Luna made a chirping sound and Harry turned to see his girlfriend was looking very proud of herself.

"Told you so."

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you."

Harry had never felt so proud of his girlfriend and bent down to kiss her again as they all stood in front of the entrance to the little cupboard.

Suddenly they heard George Weasley's voice call from somewhere in the back of the cupboard. "Can we all get moving out of here and stop blocking the doorway? It's crowded like bollocks here and smells like hippogriff droppings—!"

George suddenly cried "Oi!" as his mother, Molly Weasley slapped him and the matron was heard muttering loud words of disapproval from within the cupboard.

"Now you know what Harry had it like, when he had to live here," someone else muttered in reply.

"And that was before the Extension Charms!" someone else said.

"Unimaginable," someone who sounded like Ernie McMillan said.

Normally, Harry would be upset by anyone talking about his cupboard or the Dursleys, but somehow seeing all these smiling faces coming out of the cupboard for his surprise birthday party just changed how he thought about the cupboard. If he ever thought about the cupboard again, he would remember this night when over seventy wizards and witches willingly hid in there, with a cake, to surprise him when he came out. He would treasure this memory forever.

"C'mon people, get moving again!" George or Charlie Weasley called again from inside the cupboard.

"Well stop pushing!" someone else who sounded like Dean Thomas said. "I swear did someone buy Harry a new broomstick, because there's something poking up my backside!"

"That's mine," Seamus Finnegan said.

Everybody began to laugh, as it was very much like trying to get a bunch of clowns out of a clown car after they'd all been stuffed. It was just not enough room to move an inch.

Hermione and Ron quickly moved away from the doorway to make more room for the line up coming out of the cupboard; and Hermione took out her wand so she could start decorating the Dursley's empty house with decorative lights.

Harry could only grin as he watched the Dursley's house fill up with the people he loved. He greeted them each with handshakes or hugs as familiar faces with warm smiles, and hands filled with presents for him, stepped out of the cupboard's tiny door one-by-one. Even though the inside of the cupboard had been extended, the cupboard's door was still incredibly small and many of the party-goers had to come crawling out on hands and knees.

It was particularly amusing to see the elderly Augusta Longbottom, accompanied by her grandson Neville Longbottom, struggle out of the tiny muggle aperture. "Well, I never!" Augusta Longbottom exclaimed as she finally stood up after getting through the cupboard door. "It's a lot easier getting in there than out of it. I'm so sorry you ever had to live here. If I had known, I would've taken you to live with Neville and me. You could've been like brothers!" the elderly witch said as she patted Harry on the shoulder.

"It's alright Mrs. Longbottom, Neville and I are like brothers anyways. Isn't that right Nev?" He shot a glance at Neville who was very much his equal in every way, having both lived through the prophecy, slain one of Voldemort's horcruxes and had less than perfect childhoods. Neville, who also much taller and athletic now, grabbed his hand and gave him a fist pump.

Harry grinned. He didn't have to say much to Neville for them to understand each other; Neville was always someone he could trust and count on, even more now that they were both in the Auror department together. Neville always had his back and he had his. They were like brothers.

Next out of the cupboard, also on their hands and knees, were Minerva McGonagall, Pomona Sprout and Madam Hooch. Harry did his best to help each of these elderly, former-professors of him, up. Professor Flitwick, who followed behind them, was just about the only guest who could walk through the cupboard door without crouching; it helped that Flitwick was half-goblin and, therefore, of diminutive stature. Flitwick flashed Harry a brilliant smile before waving his wand and levitating a magic feather into Harry's hand as a gift.

"Is this...?" Harry was suddenly lost for breath.

Flitwick winked. "Yes, it is. It's the same feather you used in your first class with me as a first year. I kept it all these years, because it was of the boy-who-lived and now I'm returning it to you. Just know that you are special."

Harry was speechless. But Flitwick only chuckled and added that he'd added spells to it so it would always give him good luck. "Consider it a graduation present from my class, since I never gave you one."

"You didn't need to," Harry said quickly, his eyes definitely not watering at all. "Your lessons and everything you taught me were enough, in fact, the greatest gift you could've given me."

Flitwick just waved his hand, however, as he trotted off to the kitchen to see to the cake and drinks. Harry had the inkling that somehow the tiny half-goblin professor was also affected to and perhaps just didn't want him to see it. Goblins weren't known for being emotional, not even half-goblins.

Harry shot a glance at Luna.

"Luna, this is getting too much," he told her. Luna was still standing by his side and her smile as wide as the Cheshire's cat as she watched his reaction to each guest's arrival.

"We're just getting to the good part, Harry," she said pleasantly. "I made sure to invite everyone who loves you, in some small or big way."

"Is your father here?" Harry asked.

"Of course he is, he's somewhere in the back. He loves you too, Harry. Xeno knows that you saved me in the war and he's always cared for you.''

"That's good to know." Harry's mouth set in a grim line. "If I ever marry you, I wouldn't want him to hex me." He was teasing of course.

"Xeno would never do that," Luna teased back. "Unless you broke my heart. Or your head got filled with nargles."

"I know." Harry's hand wrapped more firmly around hers as Hannah Abott, Seamus Finnigan, Dennis Creevey and Angelina Johnson stepped out, all singing happy birthday to him in unison. Harry wondered if Dennis was a little tipsy. The blond reporter, who became a photographer and journalist in his dead brother's honour, did seem rather unsteady on his feet.

Harry gripped him by his arm. "Thanks for making it out here, Dennis. I appreciate it, " he said with sincerity as he met the younger man's eyes.

"I couldn't miss a story like this could I?" Dennis said, he held out his camera. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Harry told him. "But stay tuned for later when the real story begins."

Harry grinned mysteriously and Dennis just nodded enthusiastically, holding on to his brother's camera.

Next stepped out the smiling faces of the beautiful Fleur and Bill Weasley. Bill gave him a lucky dagger for curse breaking and Fleur showered him with kisses and muttered half French birthday greetings that he didn't even understand, though Harry blushed under her Veela charm as Luna giggled.

Next came, Molly Weasley, George Weasley and Arthur Weasley out of the cupboard. They were all wearing party hats and carried presents with them. Seeing Molly and Arthur, who were like second parents to him, was one of the greatest joys. Molly didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him and sob an overly emotional 'happy birthday' into his shoulder before she dashed off to the kitchen crying with the dishes she had prepared for him.

George winked at him as he gave him a box wrapped in paper, and said, "This contains some of our newest products, untested, mate. Enjoy."

Arthur gave him a hug too and brought a bottle of elf-wine which he carried to the kitchen to start pouring out. Wine was definitely needed, Harry thought. He just hoped that his guests had brought enough.

After the Weasleys came his familiars from work and the Auror department, there were at least forty of them overall from the Ministry whom he'd come to know and be familiar with. And they each had each other's backs both at work and here. It seemed that this surprise party was what they had been chuckling about on that last Friday before they each took off. Harry hadn't even realized that it would occur to them to all organize this much for his birthday. Harry did have to pinch himself, despite being the Boy-Who-Lived and celebrated war hero. It was still unusual for him to experience this much love or public affection. And he was certainly still not used to getting birthday parties on this scale. Harry hadn't even been allowed to invite one friend over when he'd lived her with the Dursleys. And now four years later, since he'd last stepped foot in this house, they were too many to even count.

He was dazed at this point as yet more people appeared, including Andromeda Tonks, Teddy Lupin, most of his Gryffindor classmates including Padma Patil, Parvarti Patil, Lee Jordan, Katie Bell, Oliver Wood, Mrs. Wood, Samuel Wood their son; Dumbledore's brother Aberforth, Percy Weasley, Charlie Weasley and his girlfriend Cara Cleary, Susan Bones, Susan's aunt Amelia Bones, many of his old Dumbledore's Army supporters including Terry Boot, Michael Corner, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Zacharias Smith, Alicia Spinnet, Anthony Goldstein; Gabrielle Delacour; Doctor Jane Granger and her husband Doctor Terry Granger; Sandra Ollivander, Dennis Figg-Bell, Arabella Figg's nephew; Poppy Pomfrey and her kids; and some Order members and their surving family members like Sturgis Podmore, his family and Emmeline Vance's daughters; Dirk Cresswell, whom he'd gotten to know after the war as a friend of the late Ted Tonks, and Mrs. Figg. Arabella Figg was the only guest who had been able to walk here from her home to Privet Drive.

"That is one massive extendable charm," Harry whispered to Luna, wiping a not-existent, not crying tear from his eye. He was definitely not crying as everyone he loved filled the house he used to hate. Not crying. Harry Potter never cried. Not publicly. Never, ever. No, definitely not. "How did you get so many people to fit in there?"

Luna wrapped her arms around from behind, she had the widest smile on her pretty face. Her blue eyes lit up with mischief. "Actually had Professor McGonagall to help me with that, she used her skills at transfiguration to be able to extend the cupboard by that much."

Harry nodded and kissed Luna on the nose. "It's amazing. Believe me, I could barely fit in there myself as a kid...and now..." His green eyes stared at the room filling with witches and wizards all celebrating his birthday. "...You've brought my entire world here."

"It was a good surprise then?"

"Yes, Luna, it was a good surprise." He smirked. "Somehow I expected you to do some strange surprise involving Ginny or the Dursleys becoming moles."

Luna gave him an impish smile and traced her finger along his lips. "It might've crossed my mind..."

'I'm starting to like being 21."

"There's still one surprise more though," Luna said while holding out her drink. She had the wildest look in her fairy-blue eyes.

.

~O~

a/n - dudley, burning things and mischief in next chapter...

and don't worry I will include the comedic version of this story later as a bonus chapter


	5. Drink and Absolution

_Later that night..._

~o~

"Do you know the secret of life, Harry?" Luna asked with large unblinking watery blue eyes. "It's letting go of the past."

They had spent half the night staying up and both Harry and Luna were very drunk and ready to fall over, or apparate back to their apartment to shag.

But there was just one more thing Luna Lovegood wanted to do before they left Privet Drive. Everybody else had left the party so it was just them two in the large, sterile muggle house...which was just as spotless and annoyingly prim and 'normal' as it was when Aunt Petunia cleaned and reigned over it in her cold, quiet power.

Now Harry was looking at Luna, who was the complete opposite of normal and Petunia...and he could tell she was thinking of something.

The little blonde had a smile in her eyes, both filled with gladness and mischief, as she raised a single match to Harry's bespectacled eyes.

"Let's burn in down, Harry," she whispered. "We can both be free, and you won't ever have to remember this place or see it become a museum so other people can gawk at your misery."

Harry felt a shiver run down his spine. He scratched and his neck and turned towards her, his eyes darkening. He was very inebriated at this point, really so that he was open to the possibility of creating arson, but there was still some rationality in his mind saying that this might not be the best of ideas. Afterall, Luna often came up with very odd and not very good or sane ideas.

"Luna, what are you saying we should do?" Harry asked drunkenly.

Luna smiled even more drunkenly. "I don't know Harry, I'm saying let's BURN THIS MOTHER DOWN!"

(yes both the author and story are very drunk at this point, sawry but this will contineu soon hahahaha)


	6. Beautiful Goodbyes

~o~

"What's the thing you most wish to let go about this place, Harry?" Luna asked as she lit up a match and played with it. So far she had lit at least ten muggle matches and then giggled to herself as each one fell to the ground and then went out on their own.

Harry was feeling a bit delirious; the mixture of Firewhiskey, muggle wine and Luna's kisses had driven him up the wall. Now he didn't even know if he felt anger or just like throwing up the contents of his stomach.

This truly had been the best 21st birthday bash he ever had.

(Well...the only thing that could've made it better was if Ginny and Luna had both shown up naked out of his birthday cake and then proceeded to wipe whip cream all over him. But such things were only for dreams weren't they? Harry didn't have any crazy, sexual stories like the Weasley twins, such exciting twists of fate didn't happen to plain vanilla Harry Potter.)

Luna Lovegood being his girlfriend was already crazy enough. Any crazier and he might have to change her batteries.

"Luna," Harry sighed while checking his watch. It was past 2am. "We've already christened Privet Drive on the surface of nearly every room PLUS you already threw me the best birthday party that I could've ever had in this house, which more than makes up for all the years I didn't get to celebrate a birthday with the Dursleys." Harry leaned over and kissed Luna on the top of her dirty-blonde, wavy hair. "I think my bad memories of this place are already wiped enough, now unless you tell me Ginny in a bikini is going to jump out of a hat, I suggest we go. I was only kidding when I agreed with you to burn things. I'm dead tired."

Luna shook her head, her round blue eyes fixed on another match she was striking the head of. "No, Harry, I mean it. Let's burn it. But I want you to do it."

Harry groaned. God. It was 2am, he was hungover already and he had massive amounts of cake and food and festivity earlier. If he didn't get to bed soon, he was going to wake up feeling like he'd just been struck by a quaffle in the head. Then he'd be late for work at the Ministry, his auror department would be all out of order because nobody would be there for the Knockturn undercover mission and he'd have a horrible, no-good, not-normal day. The head of the Auror department might even lose his temper and accost him for thinking the Boy-Who-Lived was too good to follow the rules. His boss's beefy, bloated red face suddenly reminded him of another bloated, bigoted face he'd grown to loathe, fear and hate.

Finally something inside Harry snapped and he clenched his fist.

He turned to Luna and his green eyes shone with clarity despite how foggily he still felt.

"You know what Luna? I think you may be right," Harry said quickly and stood up, grabbing Luna's box of matches as he did. "I mean, you really can be batshit crazy Luna and come up with the battiest, most insane ideas ever."

"Why thank you," Luna exclaimed as if Harry had just complimented her. "That is very kind of you to say so." She burped out some butterbeer.

Harry chuckled and felt his heart warm. "Actually that was not a compliment, Luna. But if to you it is, I'll be sure to say it more often. You're weird and crazy." He lifted her up into his arms and held her small waist close to his abdomen. His hand brushed some of her wild, dirty blonde hair from her face. "As I was saying Luna, you're absolutely batshit crazy, come up with the wildest, most illegal and dangerous ideas..." He paused to smirk. "And I absolutely _love_ you."

"You do?" Luna gushed but now her eyes were wide and her face sincere with fear that he might not mean it.

"I do. I absolutely am batshit crazy and nearly insane with love for you."

"Oh Harry!" Luna could not keep her lips off of him and her leg seemed like it wanted to wrap around Harry a tenth time and christen his old bedroom at Privet Drive again. But Harry grabbed her thigh and slowly pulled Luna off him.

"Down girl! Later," Harry said pretending to scold her though he was chuckling. "Once we get _home_."

"Home," Luna echoed the word warmly. For it was true, wherever Luna was, that was his home and their apartment near Rushbeetle Lane might've been small and snug...but it was home and special and exactly as it should be...even with Luna's weird nargle knit carpets everywhere.

"Yes, let's go home." Harry grabbed Luna's hand, ready to apparate and smirked at her. With his other hand, he held the box of matches and his wand.

Just before they disappeared with a pop from Privet Drive forever, Harry confidently let go of the match boxes which was starting to combust into flames from his whispered 'Incendio'.

Harry watched for a split second as the box fell into a burst of flames to the floor, then with Luna wrapped around him, they both disapparated.

"Goodbye Privet Drive."

~o~

THE END


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